Year in Review

Sorry I haven't been doing this for awhile. I have been swamped with email. I thought I'd do a year in review.

Well, here it goes. Nothing much happened in the Cornell Household other than me getting good reports on my health. And us getting another year older. We as a nation lost alot of good performers this year. Such as Ruth Warwich, legendary Actress who until her illness was on All My Children. Started out as one of Orson Welles' actresses. She died in January after a fall. Virgina Mayo was best known for Best Years of Our Lives, a good 40s movie about soldiers coming home after WW2. She also died in January. Late Night Talkshow host, Johnny Carson also died in January.

February we lost Ossie Davis, John Vernon of National Lampoon movies, played the Dean of the school. We lost Author Arthur Miller, Johnny Raitt, father of Bonnie Raitt and one of the best Broadway singers of the 40s and 50s. We lost Gidet star Sandra Dee. And Legendary French Actress Simone Simon.

March saw the lost of Teresa Wright of Best Years of Our Lives and Western Movie actor Don Durant of TV's Johnny Ringo series. Singer Bobby Short, character actor Barny Martin, (whom was a simi reg on Murder, She Wrote.).

In April Monaco lost it's prince, Prince Prince Rainier III. And actress Ruth Hussey known for playing Jimmy Stewart's girlfriend in The Philadelphia Story.

Pope John Paul II English actor John Mills, Father to Juliette and Haley Mills. We also lost Lou Grant co star Mason Adams, who later was the voice of Smucker's Jelly. Maria Schnell, sister of Max Schell,German actor. The soap world lost one of its best writers, producers, directors in William Bell. He co Created The Young and the Restless and Bold and the Beautiful. He startd out writing for As the World Turns and The Guiding Light in the 50s, before it dropped the word The in the title.

May we lost Frank Gorshin, the Riddler of the Batman series. Eddie Albert also died in May at the ripe old age of 99, just shy of his 100th.

In June we lost, Leon Askin, 97. He was the Genral Burkhalter in Hogan's Heros.

We also lost Anne Bancroft, wife of Mel Brooks and one of the best actresses of the latter 20th Century.

We lost Actor Dana Alcar, of MacGyver, who even though going blind in the last season of the show the writers wrote it in.

We lost Paul Winchell, Ventriloquist, inventor; created lispy voice of Winnie the Pooh's animated friend Tigger.

July the music world lost Luther Vandross. Actress June Haver, wife of Fred MacMurray. Evan Hunter, 78. His gritty Ed McBain detective series pioneered the police procedural genre. Frances Langford, 92. Actress-singer who captivated soldiers on Bob Hope's USO tours during World War II. Geraldine Fitzgerald, 91. In classic 1939 films "Dark Victory," "Wuthering Heights"; also noted stage actress. James Doohan, 85. As "Star Trek" chief engineer, he responded to the command "Beam me up, Scotty." Pat McCormick, 78. Walrus-mustachioed comedy performer, writer.

In August, Peter Jennings, Newsman of ABC News. Barbara Bel Geddes, Oscar-nominated actress ("I Remember Mama") who reached her greatest fame as Miss Ellie Ewing in "Dallas." Matthew McGrory, 32. Deep-voiced 7-foot-plus actor; the gentle giant in the movie "Big Fish." Brock Peters, 78. In his long acting career, played the black man falsely accused of rape in "To Kill a Mockingbird."He would also guest star in many tv series.

In September we lost Bob Denver ,Gilligan of Gilligan's Island. Robert Wise, Producer and Director of West Side Story. Sid Luft, One of Judy Garland's husbands and father to Lorna Luft, actress and singer. Tommy Bond, 79. Was Butch, the bully, in "Our Gang" films Don Adams, 82. Fumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart in TV's 1960s Bond spoof "Get Smart."

October saw the lost of Nipsey Russell actor and comic. Louis Nye, 92. Comedian who created a national catchphrase � "Hi, ho, Steverino!" � on Steve Allen's 1950s TV show. Gordon Lee, 71. Chubby child actor who played Spanky McFarland's little brother, Porky, in "Our Gang" comedies. Elmer "Len" Dresslar Jr., 80. The booming voice of the Jolly Green Giant. Oct. 16.

November we lost some great Band Leader, Skitch Henderson, The Tonight Show.

And TV Great Ralph Edwards, This is your Life.

Constance Cummings, 95. Hollywood star of the early 1930s; later leading figure on the British stage. Nov. 23. Pat Morita, 73. Nominated for Oscar for role as the wise martial-arts teacher in "The Karate Kid." Nov. 24. Wendie Jo Sperber, about 47. Actress ("Back to the Future," "Bosom Buddies"), breast cancer activist. Nov. 29. Cancer. Jean Parker, 90. Lovely star of 1930s and '40s films; was Beth to Katharine Hepburn's Jo in 1933's "Little Women." Nov. 30.

In December Richard Pryor.

This year's Oscar Ceremonies will be filled again with a long goodbye to these greats in the Entertainment field.

Today is also December 20th, my brother's Birthday. Happy Birthday Matt.